In The Making
by Troid
Summary: It's easy to overlook them, but in every Gym someone will greet you and provide encouragement. Yo, champ in the making! You may have lost, but you'll come back one hundred and ten percent better. And I'll be looking forward to it. Kink meme fill.


Prompt: "You know those, 'Yo! Champ in the making!' guys that you meet in every gym? They've become a series mainstay, and I love them to bits. They're like your personal cheerleading squad.

I'd like to see something sweet involving one of the protagonists losing a gym battle (any generation, any gender; your decision), and the guy cheering them up after the loss. Anything beyond that is up to you.

Bonus round: in certain gens, the guys come off as older - maybe make him the protag's secret father? It's stupid and silly, but it could be sweet all the same."

Pairing: none

URL: thread=5781516#t5781516

Format for the URL is pokanon[dot]livejournal[dot]com[slash]1548[dot]html[question mark], followed by the above thread equals etc.

A/N: Reciprocation for an amazing fill the requesting anon gave me, which I shan't disclose here. I think you'll understand the choice of character and Gym I made pretty easily...

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><p>"Yo! Champ in the making!" the man standing just inside the Gym doors greeted her. "You look like a serious challenger. Are you ready for the Goldenrod Gym?"<p>

"I sure am," replied Kris with a grin, and her Quilava gave a cry of assent. She'd been expecting the man's presence; every Gym had one. This guy seemed a little older, but no less energetic.

"I can tell you are! You're brimming with confidence!" he exclaimed. "This Gym's leader, Whitney, uses Normal-type Pokémon. They may look plain, but don't let that fool you!" He looked side to side theatrically, then leaned in closer to Kris. "Between you and me, Normal-types don't do well against Rock-types, and Fighting-type attacks hit them hard! With some of those on your side, a Trainer like you would win in no time!"

Well, she had forgone catching any Geodude in Union Cave since they were so weak that training them would have proved to be a chore, and none of her Pokémon knew Fighting techniques, but she wasn't worried. Her Quilava and the other members of her team were strong enough. Kris thanked the man and set off with blazing determination to find the leader who hid somewhere in that Clefairy-shaped maze...

"...all the way here already! I know; it's incredible! And she—oh, hold on—" The man closed his hand on the Pokégear conversation as Kris came around the corner.

She couldn't have looked more different than when she had entered the Gym. Her shoulders were slumped, her strides were just a dejected shuffle, and she was carrying her battered, unconscious Quilava in her arms. The young Trainer didn't even glance at the man, and would have walked right on out the doors if he hadn't said, "Whoa, champ! What happened in there?"

She stopped and looked at him. "I lost," she said, and she sounded as if she still couldn't believe it.

"Oh, harsh," he said sympathetically. "That's a real shame, but I know you'll come out of this experience one hundred and ten percent better!"

"How?" she said a little hopelessly. "I lost badly, and I can't even figure out why."

"Everybody loses focus, champ."

"I didn't think her Pokémon would have any Rock type moves, but...that's not it. Were my Pokémon not strong enough?" She hugged Quilava a little tighter. "No. That's not it, either. Maybe _I'm_ not strong enough."

"Hey, now!" The attendant frowned. "That's not the right attitude to have. You have to look at your losses, all right, but you can't view your mistakes as flaws, or something wrong with you. They're just mistakes, and they're the things you're going to pay special attention to next time." He smiled. "Right?"

"I don't know," said Kris, absently stroking Quilava's unlit head. The Pokémon squeaked faintly at her touch. "I was so sure I was going to win. This is...this is my first loss."

"That's tough, I know. But sometimes it's good to be reminded that you're not perfect yet." He laughed. "But you'll get there, champ."

"Champ..." she said, rolling the word around between her teeth. "What kind of champion loses like this?"

"All of them!" he said with a chuckle. "Lance challenged this Gym years ago, before Whitney was even born, back when I was a young man."

Kris couldn't help herself. "Did he win?"

"No idea," the man said, smiling. "But I wouldn't be surprised if he lost in a Gym challenge or two along the way. Losses help us grow, and they're just as big and important a part of battling as victories.

"You just don't have experience yet, champ. That's why you're _in the making_. But, trust me on this one: you have the potential to be amazing. You could be the best there is. All your wins and losses and the people you meet on your journey and everything you do, all that is going to make you great. There's nothing so wonderful about being 'undefeated,' champ. That means you haven't been to your limits, and that means you've never improved them. You, you're going to go all the way." He winked. "Just you wait and see."

Kris wasn't sure when the tears had welled up, but she felt one now, hot on her cheek, and it was embarrassing so she quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve. That didn't help the wavery feeling of crying in her chest, but tears or not, she felt happy again. "Thank you," she managed. "I'll do my best, sir."

The man gave Quilava a scritch behind the ears. "I know you will, champ. And I'm looking forward to seeing you here again soon."

Outside the Gym, Kris took a moment to collect herself. Crying like this was _not_ something she could let become a regular occurrence. Okay, Pokémon Center first. Then, Geodude. Better buy some Poké Balls first, then head south...

Still inside the building, the man opened his Pokégear. "Hello, Beryl? Hi. Yes, she just battled Whitney. No, she lost... I know. But she's going to be just fine. ...All right, call you then." He closed the device and turned, watching Kris walk off towards the Pokémon Center, still cradling Quilava. After she came back and beat Whitney, maybe he would go to Olivine City. "You're going to be the best, Kris," he said, although she couldn't hear him. "I know you are."

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><p>I'm not sure I should have had Kris cry. Other than that, though, I think this fill turned out okay~<p> 


End file.
